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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22561690">Astoria</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/beautiful_fiscal_siren/pseuds/beautiful_fiscal_siren'>beautiful_fiscal_siren</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne &amp; Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Astoria is very perceptive and very persistent, Drabble, F/M, I just always liked the idea that Astoria helped Draco get over Harry, if you squint there's a Drarry reference there, short and sweet, takes place a few years after the war</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2019-08-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2019-08-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 18:48:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>853</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22561690</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/beautiful_fiscal_siren/pseuds/beautiful_fiscal_siren</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"You have kind eyes. Hasn’t anyone ever told you that?”</p><p>“Definitely not.”</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Astoria</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Is this seat taken?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco looked up in surprise to see a beautiful black-haired woman setting her lunch tray down across from his. He looked away.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t want to sit there,” he said coolly.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh? You must be a terrible legilimens, because I do, in fact, want to sit here.” The woman sat. “I’m Astoria.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You must be new here, Astoria.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’ve been here long enough to know that you sit by yourself at lunch every single day, and I just think it’s a shame to see that handsome face looking so serious all the time. Do you ever smile?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco tried not to show his surprise at the compliment. She really must not know anything about him. Rather than making him hopeful, however, he just steeled himself for an uncomfortable conversation. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m a Malfoy,” he said. “Draco Malfoy.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Astoria stared at him blankly. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“So… you’d do well not to be seen with me. Not if you want to succeed here at the Ministry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Malfoy? Hm, that does sound familiar… Malfoy…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco was truly astonished now. “Have you lived under a rock for the past three years?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not unless Hong Kong counts as under a rock.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah,” said Draco. “No, I guess not. But you must at least know something about the war, if you’re working here. I was a Death Eater. Feel free to sit somewhere else now; I won’t hold it against you.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Astoria cocked her head to one side. “You can’t be a Death Eater </span>
  <em>
    <span>anymore</span>
  </em>
  <span>, can you? I don’t imagine they’d let you work for the Ministry if you were.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Well, no, of course not,” said Draco. “But--ugh. You can’t really be this dense, can you? I’m bad to associate with. You’ll ruin your reputation.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Ah, I see,” said Astoria, and she took a bite of her lunch. She chewed thoughtfully for a few moments, then asked, “Do you hate muggles, then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco almost choked on his tea. “Erm, well, no. I used to, or I thought I did, but… no. I don’t.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Astoria nodded as though she understood perfectly. “That’s good. You and I would have a bit of a problem if you did. So, how did you end up a Death Eater?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I--my father was one, so I--Why do you care? Honestly, why are you here?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Astoria shrugged. “You seem nice.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Nice?” Draco laughed bitterly and shook his head. “I’m not nice. I’ve done terrible things.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Did </span>
  </em>
  <span>terrible things. Past tense. You’ve changed.” said Astoria.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“How would you know?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You just told me yourself that you don’t hate muggles anymore. Plus I can see it in your aura… and your eyes. You have kind eyes. Hasn’t anyone ever told you that?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Definitely not.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Huh, well it’s true. So Draco, tell me about these terrible things you did.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco rested his head in his hands. “Can we not?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Astoria laughed. “Sorry, of course. We can talk about that later.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco had to bite back a groan. </span>
</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>
  <span>Astoria didn’t give up easily. She continued to find Draco at lunch and sit with him every day. She chattered away, seemingly oblivious to the stares of their colleagues, but Draco was painfully aware. He warned her more than once not to associate with him, but she was stubborn.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You need to give it up already,” she said to him a few days after their first meeting. “It’s like you’re punishing yourself.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco winced. She had hit the nail on the head.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you not enjoy my company?” She asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“If I said I didn’t, would you sit somewhere else?” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Astoria stared off into the distance. “No,” she said. “But I’d consider trying a different perfume to see if that helped.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco groaned, but he couldn’t keep from smiling. “You are rapidly becoming the bane of my existence.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Astoria grinned wickedly. “Oh? Am I beating Mr. Harry Potter, then?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco choked on his tea and fell into a coughing fit. She kept </span>
  <em>
    <span>doing </span>
  </em>
  <span>this. “He’s not--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Oh, am I wrong? I heard--”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Stupid rumors. Why could people never keep their mouths shut about him and Potter? </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“He’s irrelevant to me,” Draco said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Astoria looked at him carefully. “Well, I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know </span>
  </em>
  <span>that’s not the truth. What happened? Did you have a falling out?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco laughed bitterly. “Yeah, about two seconds after we met when we were eleven. Potter’s hated me since then.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I see… I’m sorry.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco looked up to see Astoria smiling sadly at him. That look would’ve made the old Draco angry, but now he actually felt... comforted? How was she able to understand him so easily?</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Do you… I mean, are you still… Would you like to try to patch things up with him?” Astoria asked. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco sighed. “You’re asking if I’m over him.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Draco was surprised to see Astoria blush and look down. “Yeah,” she said.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I am, mostly,” said Draco. “I still think about him more than I’d like to, but…” He sighed dramatically. “There’s someone else I just can’t seem to stop thinking about these days. If only she’d wear a nicer perfume…”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Astoria chuckled. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Even her laugh is beautiful</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Draco thought absently.</span>
</p>
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